The Church with No A/C

In Panama City
In what now looks like a war zone
Is Palo Alto church of Christ
Where we found a church home

The building was like any other
Carpet, pews, and walls
Until Hurricane Michael
Completely changed it all

We used to drive up
And park under shady trees
Then we’d walk inside
To a church with an A/C

On Sundays and Wednesdays
We’d worship and pray
We’d listen to the message
And thank God for the day

We used to chat afterwards
Whatever the topic may be
Never dreaming one day
There would be no A/C

When Michael plowed through
The building had damage and water
But we were all safe
Praise to our Heavenly Father

“Great is Thy Faithfulness”
“It is Well” we would sing
While having no idea
What the future might bring

We handed out supplies
Whatever the need would be
Too busy to complain
About no working A/C

We’re adjusting to the “new normal”
A tarped roof and no floors
But on Sundays and Wednesdays
There are opened church doors

We ponder each message
We worship and pray
We don’t know about tomorrow
But we’re thankful for today

We sing a little louder
We pray with more zeal
And we especially thank God
For our minister Tim Neal

The storm changed it all
But it made our hearts stronger
When the church says “Amen”
We hang around a bit longer

“Did you get your insurance check?”
“Did your roof get repaired?”
Are the questions that are asked
While we fan the hot air

But inside that building
Contagious hope and love
And a peace passing understanding
That can only come from above

The church is not a building
To God all praise be
For using His people
In the church with no A/C

How to Get Passed the Front Desk Girl

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

As an executive assistant, I have worked as "the front desk girl" and "gatekeeper" among other titles for over five years, and there are a few tips I would love to share with anyone who is trying to get passed my fellow gatekeepers.  I understand you have a job to do, and I want to help you succeed. Trust me.  You want to hear what I have to say.

This is meant to helpful not hurtful.

1: Please understand everyone is busy just like you so don’t come in with a long sales pitch.  Also, try to remember that I am not the decision maker.  Whether or not we use your services is not up to me, but I can get you in front of whoever does make that decision.  It is best to come in and give me a flyer and business card and only stay for a few minutes then schedule a time that we can hear more. It’s not that I'm not interested. I just have a long to-do list like everyone else.  (Have you ever met my boss??)

2: Treats and sweets go a long way. Just saying.  If you really want to stand out though, try to pick something on the healthy side such as a fruit tray or those yummy protein balls from Freshii.

3: Please do not come between 9:00-9:30; 12:00-1:00; or 4:30-5:00. The beginning of the day, I’m just trying to get started and a little overwhelmed with emails and tasks. If you come in at noon and interrupt my lunch, I am tempted to not use you just out of spite (that's the hangry side talking). 4:30-5:00 I’m wrapping stuff up, and my brain is pretty much fried.  I know your schedule is crazy too, but these are real suggestions.

4: Be persistent but not annoying. As a front desk girl who sees A LOT of people every day, it always helps to send a reminder e-mail or two. But that doesn’t mean I want you to pop in every day either. Look for the happy medium.

5: Do NOT under any circumstances talk negatively of another company – especially your competition. That is the fastest way to get your marketing material thrown in the trash.  You think I'm kidding?  I'm not.  If you want to say something along the lines of, "We are the best at what we do" - that's fine.  But if you start trash-talking your competition, I can guarantee you that I will never mention you or your company to any of my higher-ups. 

6: It really helps to see you outside of the office. If I see you at a charity function or a chamber event, I’m more likely to remember you. It’s easier to talk to people when I’m not behind a computer and up to my eye balls in tasks.

7: Be sweet – not fake. It’s not hard to tell the difference between someone who is genuinely kind and someone who is just trying to sell a product. If you really love and believe in your product, it shows. And trust me, I'm more likely to listen.  

8: Show respect to me, my job, my boss, and my company.  Respect my time.  Be polite.  Be honest.  Be kind.  

9: If you are going to call me or my boss, ALWAYS ask, "Do you have a minute for me, or should I schedule a time to talk to you later?"  This simple sign of respect wins 1,000 brownie points with me.  

10: Want to know the best way to get your foot in the door at our company?  Sponsor a charity event that we are involved with.  We (meaning more people than just "the front desk girl") see your heart.  We get to know you as a human being.  We see your willingness to work and serve.  We have a soft spot for people like that.  

I hope these tips help you, and I hope they make your day just a little bit happier!

Thank God for... Fleas?

"' Give thanks in all circumstances,'" she quoted.  "It doesn't say, 'in pleasant circumstances.'  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us." - Betsie Ten Boom

I just finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, and wow! What a remarkable story of home and courage in one of the absolute worst times in human history.  Corrie and her family were Christians harboring Jews in their home in Holland during Nazi occupation.  It's an incredible story of God's faithfulness proven over and over through a vitamin bottle that never emptied, a Bible miraculously smuggled, and what some would call a lot of "lucky coincidences," but I honestly don't think luck or coincidence has anything to do with it.  

Now back to the fleas.  After being arrested, imprisoned, and transported like animals, Corrie, along with her older sister, Betsie, find themselves in the barracks of Ravensbruck, a women's extermination camp in Germany.  Within the first few minutes, Corrie cries out covered in fleas.  There are fleas everywhere in the room.  Corrie asks her sister how they can possibly live like this.  

After a prayer, Betsie reminds Corrie we are to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances."  (1 Thessalonians 5)

One by one, Betsie and Corrie make a list of all the things they are grateful for, and they say prayers of thanks to God.  They are together.  They have a Bible.  They have an opportunity to witness to countless women.  Then Betsie thanked God for - of all things - the FLEAS!!  Obviously, Betsie was a better woman than me.  I agree with Corrie when she says, "Not even God can make me grateful for a flea."

The two sisters start a Bible study in the barracks.  Corrie calls them "little previews of heaven."  There are so many women from various countries that language barriers are a problem, but Corrie and Betsie translate their Dutch Bible into German, and they can hear it being passed back in French, Polish, Russian, and other languages.  Oh, how beautiful that must have been.  But as they get bolder and bolder with the Bible study, they cannot figure out why they have not been caught.  They are under strict supervision everywhere with the exception of the barracks.  Why?  

The next chapter reveals the answer.  FLEAS!  The guards never step foot in the building because of the fleas!!  But even before they know this, Betsie and a very reluctant Corrie had given thanks for that mean little booger, the flea.  


What are the "fleas" in my life that I can be thankful for?

Broccoli.  I hate broccoli.  But I put some in my chicken Alfredo, it is almost bearable... with extra sauce.  What I'm super thankful for is asparagus and zucchini - the two veggies I really love.  Dirty dishes.  I haven't had a dishwasher in over 5 years, and washing dishes by hand gets really annoying.  But dirty dishes mean I have plenty of food and a sweet husband that loves to cook - that is what I am most thankful for.  Laundry.  It never ends!!  But I have plenty of clothes, and for that, I am thankful.  That person in my life that I am not overly fond of.  I have to believe they are in my life - whether I want them there or not - for a purpose.  And if God is using me for a purpose and plan even that I don't see or understand, I am grateful.  Rent.  After the storm, our rent was raised along with most everyone else's.  But I have a home when a lot of people do not have one right now.

Let me get extra real.  Failure.  I am thankful for failure - okay not always, but when I can calm down and think long enough - I am thankful for failure because it means I'm trying.  I'm thankful for when I am tired.  That means I'm trying.  

Would you like to know the weirdest thing I am thankful for?  Sand in my shower.  I know.  Weird.  But when you have always, always, always wanted to live at the beach.  I am thankful for being able to live here and for every minute I am able to spend on the beach so yes, I am thankful for the sand in my shower because it means I got to spend time at my happy place.  

And the list goes on.  

What are the "fleas" in your life right now?  Make a list and thank God for each of those things.  Then leave a comment.  I'm curious to see other's answers.  

Don't just shut the door; SLAM IT!

"Lord, if this is not Your will, don't just shut the door; SLAM IT!" 

Thanks, Will Tate for teaching me this prayer.  I have used it many times but especially recently because we have been doing that oh-so-fun activity of house hunting.  At first, it was fun!  And I'm totally an "enjoy the journey" kind of girl.  But then the process turned into a process that could possibly result in a stomach ulcer.  

I had a friend as me not too long ago "How do I know that was the Lord's sign and not my brain just tell me what I want to hear?"

So, of course, my response was, "Oh, I know exactly the answer to all of your questions because I have all of this stuff figured out, and I know exactly what God's plan is for me and all the steps to get there.  Not to brag, but I'm kind of an expert on this."  

Just Kidding!!! 

I told her I'm right there too.  I ask this question all the time.  It's not easy to know what God's plan is and His will and His purpose.  I know staying in constant prayer and reading His Word every day helps, but the answer is usually still not simple.  And I told her I often pray that if this is not God's will, don't just shut the door; SLAM IT so I know that's not the path you want me to take.

We started looking for a house a few months ago.  We found a great house that was new construction and in our budget.  The only downside was it had a small yard, but we decided to go for it.  We had it under contract, but the deal fell through a week before closing.  Was this God saying this wasn't the house for us?  Was God telling us to save more money for a down payment?  Was he saying yes, no, or not yet?  I had no idea.  

We waited a couple of months, and then last week, we saw the same house was still on the market.  It gets better!  The seller had reduced the price of the home, and interest rates had gone down.  Bingo!  So we made another offer... and so did someone else.  The seller accepted the other person's offer.  I was shocked at how calm I was, but I kept saying, "God slammed the door.  Clearly, this wasn't the right house for us.  It'll be fine."

Later that week, another house popped up on the market.  And I thought it was perfect.  It was only a year old, was in a great location, and best of all had a big, beautiful backyard!  It had been on the market for about 17 hours when we made our offer along with three other people.  This time, when the door slammed, I wasn't so calm about it.  I pouted and wallowed and ate way too much junk food and watched too much tv.  

But then the next day, we received the sweetest letter from the sellers via both of our realtors (glorified note-passing) explaining their situation and why they took the other offer, and they wished us the best of luck finding a home.  I was floored!  They did not have to do this, but it was so incredibly kind of them to do this.  I felt really guilty for all the wallowing.

So the only option left was to wait for something else to come along.  

So now my prayer was, "Lord, I have NO idea what You're up to, but if You could let me in on whatever it is, I'd appreciate it." 

Then I got the phone call today... that first house that we first had the offer on might be available again.  So do we go for it?  Or do we wait for something else to come along?  We decided to sleep on it before making any decisions, and we found out the next morning this house was not an option. The door was slammed shut. 

When Ben and I got home yesterday, we were relieved more than anything.  And for the first time that I can remember, I thanked God for slamming doors.

Thy Will Be Done

"Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You're God
And I am not
So
Thy will be done."
          -Hilary Scott

Since I was in high school, I have ended my prayers with, "Let Your will be done. Nothing more. Nothing less. And nothing else." 

I know that I don't always know what is best for my life so sometimes, I have no idea what to pray for.  It's in these moments that I pray, "Thy will be done" simply because I don't know what else to say. 

But then someone - I wish I could remember who it was - once told me that she prayed, "Thy will be done. And help me be okay with it."

Woah.  Game changer.

God's will does not always match up to Lacey's will.  I have learned over the years that I am not always meant to understand God's will, but I am supposed to accept His will no matter what that may be. 

Funeral Funnies

When I was 16, we went through a period of losing several older family members in a few short months including my granddaddy and a few great uncles on both sides of the family. While funerals are a very sad, somber time, they are sometimes the source for unexpected humor, and unexpected humor makes for great memories. 

“We are at the wrong funeral!!”
My older brother was trying to tell my mother at a funeral for my great uncle, “There’s a black man in the casket. We’re at the wrong funeral!” My great uncle had been on dialysis for many, many years, and his skin had darkened significantly as a side effect. This explanation did not suffice for my brother.

During the service, the preacher who didn’t really know my uncle kept referring to him as Walter. “Walter was loved by his family. Walter was a good man.” His name was Clyde. My brother whispered to my mother again, “We are at the wrong funeral!”

Then the preacher stated, “Walter proudly served his country in the army during Vietnam.” To which my grandmother in her oh-so-graceful way declared out loud, “He wasn’t in the army! He was a diabetic!”

To this day, my brother is convinced he attended someone else’s funeral.



The Unknown Niece
When one of my dad’s uncles passed away, we loaded up to go to the funeral. I didn’t really know this uncle very well, but I wanted to be there for my dad and the family. It was a small, sweet service. At the closing of the graveside service, the preacher went around to each person and said something sweet. “Your husband loved you more than anything in the world.” “Your dad was a good man and loved you very much.” Then he got to me. He took my hands in his, searched my face, and after a long few moments said, “I honestly have no idea who you are, but I’m sure he loved you.”

Late for His Own Funeral
Another uncle on my dad’s side passed away during the same time period. I wasn’t there, but my parents describing the day’s events were priceless. It was a small graveside service. The family assembled, and they were ready to begin except there was a problem. Our uncle was nowhere to be found! The hearse had gotten lost and was late.

The family waited for a while, but the funeral director told them there was another service scheduled to start in thirty minutes. The options were to begin the funeral without our uncle or to join in with the next family. Join in with the next family? Have you ever heard of anything so hysterically ridiculous? So they started the service, and the uncle’s casket eventually arrived. According to my parents, the preacher never skipped a beat but only paused long enough to say, “And here he is now!”

Leave it to a Phillips to be late to his own funeral.

How May I Serve You?

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” John 13:14

This was the verse for my daily Bible reading this morning. I’ve heard this story a million times so I didn’t think much of it until I got to the application part in my journal. How does this verse apply to me? Then it hit me.

A long time ago, I heard someone describe a person as “a waste of space” and “better off dead.” Ouch. That hurt me. I wasn’t overly fond of the person he was talking about either, but I wouldn’t say that he was better off dead. I would like to think I wouldn’t say that about anyone no matter how much I didn’t like them.

Even though this happened forever ago, it still hurts my heart to think about those words, “a waste of space.” Even though this person has made a long list of terrible decisions, I don’t think he is better off dead.

It got me thinking about my own life. I hope my life is full of purpose, value, meaning, love, joy, and sunshine. I hope my life will bring happiness to others. I hope my life reflects the peace and hope that I’ve been given straight from Jesus. I hope God uses me for HIS good and HIS purpose. I hope I am never considered a waste of space by anyone.

Squirrel back to the verse this morning. Jesus gave the ultimate example of humility when He washed the feet of the disciples. This is a direct order from Jesus Himself – not a suggestion – to be humble and to not think of ourselves as better than anyone else and to serve others. Just because someone has made a lot of bad decisions, that doesn’t mean that I am above him. Grace that was given to me is the same grace that is extended to anyone who will accept it.

I am going to really start making an effort on small ways to serve others, especially through prayer, love, and grace. If I can help make one person’s day just a little bit easier on them, it will be worth it.

So now I ask… How May I Serve You?